Summer house and swimming pool top garden wish list

A summer house, a swimming pool and a vegetable patch are just some of the must-haves of the nation’s dream garden. A study of 2,000 adults also found the ideal outdoor space is 88ft long and south facing.

Other backyard desirables include a built-in barbecue, a shed and a fire pit.

Some of the most-wanted items have been incorporated into a ‘garden-goals’ design, showing what that dream outdoor area would look like, with a bird feeder, plenty of plants and sun loungers also featuring.

It also emerged half of those polled would opt for a flat rather than tiered landscape and 32 per cent would choose stone flooring, compared to 30 per cent who prefer wood-look decking.

When it comes to the grass, 72 per cent favour the real thing while only 14 per cent would like to have astro-turf.

The research and image were commissioned by Onduline and found that overall, the average adult’s dream garden would appear colourful (48 per cent), inviting (45 per cent) and tidy (41 per cent).

Says Paul Duffy, managing director of Onduline: “The research proves how important gardens are to residents of the UK and how we all aspire to have a ‘dream garden.’

“This has definitely become more apparent during recent months, with increased time spent at home, as we have all been day-dreaming about what our perfect home and garden would look like.

“What was particularly interesting from the research was seeing how much time people spend in their gardens and outdoor buildings and therefore want it to be the perfect space whether for entertaining, working-out or relaxing.”

Adds Tim Miller, from Tim Miller Design which created the 3D image to show the perfect garden:

“Many of my clients are looking for these top 10 garden features and it’s lovely bringing them altogether in one project.”

The research also found a third would border their dream garden with a fence, while 32 per cent prefer hedging.

More than half would like a big enough space to house animals, including chickens (57 per cent), ducks (32 per cent) and goats (17 per cent).

From wannabe farmers to active sports players, a tenth would also include a tennis court in their dream garden and another 10 per cent would like an outdoor gym.

It also emerged that on average, those polled think their perfect garden will cost more than £5,000 to achieve.

But a fifth would put environmentally friendly products above the expenditure when planning their dream garden, and 28 per cent feel it’s important to use sustainable materials outside.

More than half would get professionals in to create their inspirational garden, while a brave 30 per cent would see it as a DIY project.

The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found that despite 31 per cent being happy with their garden currently, only 17 per cent feel they have their ‘dream’ garden.

And a sixth are unimpressed with their outdoor space while a tenth even went as far as to say they were embarrassed by it.

Currently, during the typical week, garden-owners spend seven hours in their outdoor space, along with three hours in their outbuildings – 13 per cent have a summer house and 55 per cent own a garage.

More than a quarter use their outdoor buildings for relaxing, 15 per cent have them as their work space and 17 per cent enjoy hobbies in them. Similarly, almost two thirds use their garden as a place to relax, while a fifth regularly dine outside and 17 per cent use the space to play with their children.

Features of Brits’ dream garden:

1. Lots of plants
2. Vegetable/fruit patch
3. Summer house
4. Water feature
5. Bird feeder
6. Shed
7. A pathway
8. Hanging baskets
9. Sun loungers
10. Swimming pool
11. Raised flower beds
12. Built-in barbecue
13. Pond/lake
14. Fairy lights
15. Greenhouse
16. Hot tub
17. Dining table
18. Fire pit
19. A bridge over water
20. Garden statues/ornaments
21. Pizza oven
22. Swing bench
23. Hammock
24. Corner sofa
25. Log cabin
26. Outdoor heaters
27. Spotlights
28. Treehouse
29. Pergola
30. Bar
31. Bee house
32. Workshop
33. Orangery
34. Day bed
35. Chiminea
36. Carport/bespoke garage
37. Sauna
38. Log storage
39. Egg chair
40. Trampoline
41. Playground equipment e.g. swing / climbing frame
42. Outdoor gym
43. Tennis court
44. Playhouse
45. Yoga area
46. Outdoor rug
47. Maze
48. Goal net
49. Five-a-side pitch
50. Go-kart track